What are Hard White Spots under the skin?
You may have noticed hard small white bumps on your skin and assume that you are dealing with whiteheads.They are in fact called Milia and are a type of cyst filled with the substance Keratin.
You’ll know them, because unlike a whitehead that can be popped – these unsightly little things can’t.
How to recognise Milia.
Milia are formed when dead skin doesn’t slough off naturally but is trapped in pockets under the surface of the skin. Over time it becomes a firm ball that when pressed can be a little bit painful. If you have had one you will know the distinctive feel. They can be on their lonesome or form clusters of white spots under the skin - particularly on the face.
When in clusters they make the skin look bumpy and uneven and are white or yellowish in colour. They can range in size from 1-2 millimetres. They may look as if they are sitting just below the surface of the skin, but although in the outer layers of the skin they are actually located deeper in the tissue of the face and seem to settle around the eye area.
Who is most likely to get Milia?
Anyone can get Milia, men and women of any ages and any ethnicity. The tell-tale under skin spots can appear around the eyes, cheeks, nose, chin, and forehead and as the saying goes they are 'in your face' and sadly hard to hide from.
If you have recently had professional dermabraision, laser resurfacing, chronic sun damage, burns or if you have used steroid creams for a long period of time, all of these can result in Milia too.